School of Freaks
by Jinx Telepia
Summary: Sasuke is new. Naruto is newer. Two very strange boys in an even stranger school in an otherwise normal town. Just with the ocassional vampire or witch running around.
1. Prologue

**Hello my beautiful readers. It's so awesome to see you all again! I've spent this past summer planning, writing, and practicing, and now I'm finally back in school. Yay! (note the sarcasm) Anyways, I'm back and I thought: What better way to kick off the Halloween month than with a monster story? I'll be updating once a week and I hope you guys are still sticking with me even though I've been a terrible FFN author for the past three years. I'm definitely getting better, now that I've discovered Betas and a cousin who yells at me when I don't update :-). Enjoy!**

 **Summary: Sasuke is the new boy in town, along with his elder brother, Itachi. Leaving behind the elegant and constricting Underworld palace for the open space of Konoha, Oregon, the two boys are ready to start anew at the elaborate school for...** _ **gifted**_ **children. Things are made slightly easier by an intriguing blonde fox.**

 **Naruto is the new boy in, well, everywhere. At 15, 15 weeks old that is, Naruto is finally able to enroll in Konoha High, a special school that hides a monster of a secret. There, he makes his first friend, gets his first F, and meets his first boy who his mother's magazines describe as "model status hot", which, despite the boy being a bastard, Naruto had to agree with.**

 **As their paths cross, can Sasuke and Naruto conquer the "horrors" of high school?**

 **Plot Bunny: Ava**

 **Beta: Takako's Revenge**

* * *

Prologue

Dark lashes fluttered open over a pair of brilliant blue eyes. White flashes struck the child's vision as he tried to focus, straining with all his might. His eyelids too heavy to lift. The room darkened.

"Tsunade says he's in perfect health," stated a man's voice, a feeling of protection washing over the boy. Along with that protection came a new voice that brought comfort.

"Can he hear us?" a woman asked.

"Hear, see, comprehend, and everything else. No disturbances or complications. In just a little over three months he'll have the intelligence and physicalities of a normal fifteen year old."

"Let me hold him," the woman said. A pair of strong but soft arms wrapped around him. "Oh Minato!," she sniffled. "He's perfect."

"He is," Minato replied. "Dad's perfect boy. Our wonderful Naruto."

Both kissed Naruto's cheeks, filling his senses with warmth. Naruto tried to open his eyes again, but this time they would hardly even blink.

"His eyes!" the woman exclaimed. "Minato, he's trying to see us! Naruto, I'm Kushina, your mommy. Can you see us darling?"

"He can't," Minato answered. "He won't be able to open his eyes for a few more hours."

Naruto felt like crying. More than anything he wanted to explore his new home. Wanted to look at his parents' faces. Wanted to come alive in this world he'd been born into. But he couldn't move. Kushina started to sob, her shaking voice no longer filled with happiness.

"It's alright, hon," Minato spoke softly. "A few more hours and he'll be able to see, talk, and play."

"That isn't it," Kushina sniffed.

"Then what's wrong?"

"He's wonderful. And if he's anything like us he'll be adventurous and full of potential and…" Her voice cracked. "It just hurts that he'll have to live like...you know...like all of us."

"And what's wrong with us?" Minato asked, though his tone suggested he already knew.

"Really?" Kushina chuckled.

"Ku-chan, it won't always be this way," Minato assured her. "You'll see. Things will change."

"But who will have the courage to change them?"

Minato sighed. "I couldn't tell you. Someone will though..someday."

"Well I hope you and I are around to see that "someday"," Kushina replied sadly.

"We will be," Minato promised and kissed her forehead softly.

While not fully able to understand the conversation, Naruto could sense his mother's sadness. He desperately wanted to know about these "things" that needed to change and why. But asking soon became impossible as Naruto drifted further into unconsciousness, and his world went completely dark.

* * *

 **Read and review!**


	2. You've Got Hell

Chapter 1: You've Got Hell

 **Summary: Sasuke is the new boy in town, along with his elder brother, Itachi. Leaving behind the elegant and constricting Underworld palace for the open space of Konoha, Oregon, the two boys are ready to start anew at the elaborate school for...** _ **gifted**_ **children. Things are made slightly easier by an intriguing blonde fox.**

 **Naruto is the new boy in, well, everywhere. At 15, 15 weeks old that is, Naruto is finally able to enroll in Konoha High, a special school that hides a monster of a secret. There, he makes his first friend, gets his first F, and meets his first boy who his mother's magazines describe as "model status hot", which, despite the boy being a bastard, Naruto had to agree with.**

 **As their paths cross, can Sasuke and Naruto conquer the "horrors" of high school?**

 **Plot Bunny: Ava**

 **Beta: Takako's Revenge**

* * *

 _ **Hell is the home to demons of all kind. They are solitary creatures, often only butting heads with vampires and a few angels. Like many ancient supernatural races, demons are born either a dominant or a submissive. However, a rather new aspect is many of the recent submissives being born male, including the Crown Prince.**_

 _ **Mates, eternal partners. Humans see this as someone you simply fall in love with, and remain with for convenience or ideality. In contrast, demons take great caution in choosing their mates, often looking for beauty, power, and genes. There are, however, some demons who mate for love. those who do are said to have bond that will go unbroken for many lives to come.**_

* * *

The thirty-six hour drive from the River of Souls in New Orleans, Louisiana to Konoha, Oregon had been pure torture for Sasuke. Not only did his elder brother, Itachi, insist on stopping every four hours at mortal rest stops (called gas stations) for "snacks", but their double-wide mahogany carriage was replaced by a sleek and lengthy vehicle humans called a "limousine". Apparently famous people rode in it.

 _This interior is nowhere near as pleasant as the carriage,_ Sasuke thought, glancing around.

The side door opened and Itachi climbed in, looking refreshed. No doubt he left some poor soul nearly drained of energy on the degrading building's bathroom floor.

"Better?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.

"Not exactly," replied Itachi, pouring a glass of wine as the driver started the car. "She tasted low-class, but I suppose her menial flavor will suffice until we arrive at the school." He glanced over his brother. "Sasuke, you really should-"

"I already told you no, Aniki," Sasuke answered curtly. "I refuse to simply sample any and every soul offered to me."

"You say that as if you're talking about someone specifically." Sasuke gave him a derisive look. "While it's true that I consume many souls, little brother, simply tasting isn't common for me. And I never "settle" unless absolutely necessary. It isn't my fault you have no real palette."

Sasuke scoffed. "If I'm going to consume soul energy, I'd rather it not be from a lowly human."

Itachi sipped from his glass. "Well, then your only other option is to find a mate and live off their soul."

"Itachi!" Sasuke exclaimed.

"There's no need to shout Sasuke. And don't give me that look," the elder Uchiha replied, ignoring Sasuke's shocked face. "You've practically sworn off sampling and making contracts, which leaves that as your only choice. You can't live off of substitutions forever, little brother."

"They've worked fine so far," muttered Sasuke in reply.

In a rarely seen act of affection, Itachi wrapped an arm around his brother. His expression softened as he rested his head on Sasuke's. "I just want you to be safe, Otouto. Without fear of your life losing its value."

Sasuke only "Hn"-ed in response. Despite his reluctance to admit it, he understood Itachi's concerns. And he knew better than anyone the dangers of rejecting souls to unmated demons. Highly detached from other races, mates were seen as great treasures to demons, as they were the only ones who could give the other true pleasure and happiness. To be without one was seen as torture of the highest calibre. That's the main reason the demon race forms contracts and consumes souls. It acts as a (somewhat poor) substitute for the emotional and physical pleasure that could only be given by a fated mate.

The problem with that was that, if you were one of the few lucky enough to find a mate, you could only consume soul energy if your mate was a demon. At least, without causing them unbearable pain.

"You don't need to stress yourself out over me, Itachi." Sasuke shrugged his brother off and resumed leaning against the car window. "I'm fine," he whispered.

Itachi looked liked he wanted to say more but decided against it, and reluctantly let the matter drop. "Very well, little brother."

An eerie and depressive silence filled the car. No one spoke, no one moved, aside from the driver who'd rolled up the separating window upon Itachi's orders. The only sound was the crunch of tires in gravel road.

 _x-x-School of Freaks-x-x_

Twenty-four pre shipped YPS **(1)** boxes were neatly stacked on the front lawn of a large, four-story, stone building resembling a Gothic castle. Beside them sat two chests, one made of cherry wood, the other of obsidian graphite. Surrounding the items stood a dozen living skeletons with hats bearing the Uchiha family crest. The limo drove through the school's wrought iron gates and pulled into the parking lot. As the brothers climbed out, both holding umbrellas, Sasuke continued to glower at the building while Itachi gave orders to the skeletal servants.

"Enough glaring, Otouto," Itachi reprimanded. Ignoring Sasuke's comment about glaring being part of the "Uchiha way", Itachi offered a small smile. "While I'm not the biggest fan of it, Father does have a reason for sending us to Konoha Academy. You'll see."

The skeletons began moving their luggage into the school, Itachi following closely and barking instructions. Far from comforted, Sasuke looked at the school with what could only be described as disgust. Even the grounds looked dull, though that was likely because most of the student body was away for the summer. Regardless, the dark-haired boy was less than thrilled. Sasuke glanced over at the school and saw Itachi waving him over impatiently. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke began making his way over to the entrance.

"Hello b _Oregon."_

* * *

 **(1) Yokai Postal Service (parody of UPS, postal service for monsters, pretty self-explanatory)**


	3. Tombmates

**My apologies for the late upload. I was on a retreat up in the mountains and we only got back an hour ago. Enjoy!**

 **Summary: Sasuke is the new boy in town, along with his elder brother, Itachi. Leaving behind the elegant and constricting Underworld palace for the open space of Konoha, Oregon, the two boys are ready to start anew at the elaborate school for...** _ **gifted**_ **children. Things are made slightly easier by an intriguing blonde fox.**

 **Naruto is the new boy in, well, everywhere. At 15, 15 weeks old that is, Naruto is finally able to enroll in Konoha High, a special school that hides a monster of a secret. There, he makes his first friend, gets his first F, and meets his first boy who his mother's magazines describe as "model status hot", which, despite the boy being a bastard, Naruto had to agree with.**

 **As their paths cross, can Sasuke and Naruto conquer the "horrors" of high school?**

 **Plot Bunny: Ava**

 **Beta: Takako's Revenge**

* * *

 **Shifters. Creatures of all shapes and sizes. They are often confused by humans with creatures such as wereweolves. However, they are vastly different. Shifters have both human and beastial blood running through their veins, and therefore have both human and creature forms. They are often separated into clans, one of the most powerful being the Uzumaki Clan, of which the infamous red wolf, Kushina Uzumaki, is the head.**

 **They are one of the view monster races that have the ability to live in peace among huamns, should they so choose, due to their ability to change form at will. Shifters are friendly creatures, if not a bit territorial. A Shifter's mates are found through their mating instincts, a deep and powerful possessiveness that marks the one who activates it as theirs.** **Like demons, they mate for life. However, unlike demons, they cannot always choose their mates.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Tombmates

The sun had finally risen over the horizon, bathing the clearing in light. White swallows and hummingbirds harmonized their daily morning soundtracks. Near the edge of the area, a slim blonde fox stretched in the rays of sunlight. Yawning, he made his way over to a large tree, slipped through a hole at the base, and appeared in a wide room.

What originally looked like just a tree was actually home to the Uzumaki family. Hollowed out and rooted with magic, the tree took up two stories plus a basement, including a kitchen, two bedrooms, windows, and other basic facilities

The fox's fur shed from his skin, and his snout shrunk down into a pert nose as his body shifted into a human form. Where the fox once stood was a young blonde with sparkling blue eyes. Three whisker-like marks decorated each cheek. The boy stretched once more and walked over to a wooden dresser, pulling out a shirt and orange trackpants. Almost on cue, a knock sounded at the door as soon as he finished dressing. A fierce-looking, red-haired woman barged in before he could utter so much as a, "Come in".

"Ma!" the boy exclaimed. "What if I'd been changing!"

The woman rolled her dark grey eyes. "I'm your mother, Naruto. I've seen you naked a thousand times."

"But I'm a lot older now," Naruto stated, grinning at his mother. "Just like-"

"Like who?!" Kushina demanded, putting Naruto in a headlock. "You better watch it, brat!"

"Aghh! Let go, mom!" he yelled, as Kushina comically stretched his cheeks. Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Kushina's waist and pulled her off the blonde. A man in his early 40's, a near spitting image of Naruto, kept a tight grip on the fiery redhead's middle.

"Okay Kushina, that's enough." He laughed as Naruto pouted and rubbed his sore cheeks. His wife and son were far too much alike. Both had outstanding magical prowess, red-hot tempers, and the stubbornness of of old mules. Minato loved them dearly, though, and he knew Kushina and Naruto loved each other despite their near daily fights. He would've done anything to keep that peace in his family, but the universe had other plans.

"Can we talk for a minute, son?" Minato asked. His deep, but cheerful, voice was countered by the concern in his blue eyes. Naruto felt his ears twitch and tugged at the earring bearing the red spiral symbol of the Uzumaki clan. Had they already found out about the small fortune he'd spent on comics?

"Don't pull," Kushina scolded gently. "You'll break it. Come sit down, sweetheart."

"There's no need to be nervous, Naruto. We just want to talk."

Naruto sat down on the edge of his wooden bed, picking at the light orange comforter and trying to act like he hadn't just blown $87.99 on a _Ninja of the Hidden Village_ comic set. Though in his defense, it was limited edition.

"Seasons are changing." Minato rubbed his chin and exhaled loudly, as if preparing for a long and strenuous journey. Kushina forced a smile and looked at her husband, silently urging him to continue. He shook his head, telling her he didn't know what to say. Or rather, how to say it.

Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably on the duvet. He'd never seen his parents so tense before and it upset him. He felt his ears twitch and reached for his earring.

"Relax, Naru." Kushina smiled, this time less forced, and reached forward to smooth her son's sunshine blonde hair. The gesture soothed his twitching ears but did nothing for his nerves. They were still jumping and twisting into pretzels. Minato and Kushina were two of the only four people Naruto had ever known, his closest friends and teachers. Hurting his parents was worse than any pain.

Minato sighed deeply, before looking Naruto in the eye. "Summer is over. I have to return to teaching math and science at the college, and your mother has her duties as clan leader. You can't be home schooled anymore.

Naruto blinked and gave his parents an _I-don't-know-what-the-heck-you're-saying_ look. Minato shot his wife a pleading look.

"What we're trying to say is that you're fifteen weeks old now. Throughout those weeks, your Shifter blood has allowed you to grow, in both mind and body, to fifteen years of age in only a number of weeks." Naruto nodded, wondering where this conversation was going. "So, now that you're of age, you're ready for…to be around..." Kushina paused, nervously, "Folies."

Naruto had heard of school, but the other word was new to him. "What's a '"folie"?" he asked, pronouncing it _fall-ee_.

"Folie is another name for humans, people with a standard appearance. They also have no access to magic or the paranormal, save for a very very few," Kushina answered.

"Li-i-ke…" Minato grabbed Volume 4 of _Hidden Village_ and flipped to a random page. "Like the ones in your comic books."

He pointed to a two-page spread of the three main characters: a blonde with twintails, a stoic-looking girl with a dark spiked ponytail, and a boy with magenta hair. None of them had pointed ears or fangs or even claws, which had always confused Naruto.

"Am I a folie?" the blonde asked. Minato shook his head no. "Because my ears are pointy?"

A smirk spread across Kushina's lips. "Sort of. It's because you're special."

"Isn't everyone?"

Minato chuckled at his son's slight naivete, but cherished his big heart. "Yes, but you are even more so."

"You've aged at almost three times the rate of a folie, mentally as well as physically. You can change the form and size of your body at will. You can communicate with animals. And Naruto, because of your heritage, even in this form you...you have a...well...a tail."

Naruto looked down at his tail, fluffy as a feather-filled pillow and the same orangey-yellow of the sky at sunset.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "It's awesome, right?"

"Very awesome." His mother giggled. "That's what makes you- makes us -special. Folies nor anyone at your new school looks this way."

"There'll be other people there?!" Naruto asked excitedly.

Kushina and Minato nodded, their foreheads wrinkling in worry and anticipation. "It's called Konoha Academy for the Gifted, a school for young monsters where you can learn and grow without being isolated."

"Physically anyway-ow!" Minato muttered before shouting in pain, rubbing the side of his torso Kushina had likely bruised.

The blonde watched his parents with unreadable eyes, thinking back to everything he'd just been told. Was this really it? Were they going to send him off into a world of folies to take care of himself? Dump him in a new school full of monsters, supposedly like him but at the same time not, without any advice?

Even through their tight smiles and watery eyes, it seemed that was exactly what they were doing. A strange feeling began bubbling in Naruto's stomach. It rushed through his heart, stampeded right up his throat, and burst out of his mouth like a comet:

" **SUGOI!"** **(1)**

 _x-x-School of Freaks-x-x_

Naruto rested his head against the window, the scenery a blur. The large yellow bus was nearly empty save for the redhead across from him, staring blankly out the window. He looked at the digital clock above the driver's seat. Still another hour until they reached the school. The blonde leaned back and thought over the past four hours.

* * *

 _"Wakey, wakey!"_

 _Naruto opened one bleary eye and gave his father a look that clearly said_ **,** _Piss off._ _Naruto often prided himself on being a morning person and naturally upbeat even before sunrise, but this morning was not one of those mornings. He'd been up until nearly midnight packing his room up._

 _"It's your own fault for waiting so long to pack." Minato chuckled as Naruto scowled at him. "Your mom made breakfast, and said if you don't get up in five minutes I have permission to pour ice water on you."_

 _Naruto bolted up so fast he was afraid he'd get whiplash. The "Water Wake Up Call" was nothing to joke about to a Shifter. The last time it happened his fur had stood on end for an hour and was tangled into impossible knots for the rest of the week._

 _"Fine, fine, I'm up," the blonde grumbled._

 _"Atta boy." Minato rubbed his head affectionately before leaving the room._

 _Naruto dressed quickly, knowing it wouldn't be in his best interest to keep his mom waiting longer. She wasn't nicknamed the Red-Hot Habanero for nothing. After one last family breakfast and dragging his two suitcases outside, Naruto was wrapped in a tight hug by both parents._

 _"Be safe alright? And if you ever need anything we're just a phone call away. We'll be there in two shakes of a fox's tail," Minato scratched his son's ears as Naruto grinned at his bad joke._

 _"You better not do anything stupid, brat. If you do, I'll hunt you down and pummel you, after Tsunade gets her licks in. I mean it, brat!" Kushina's harsh words were ruined by her tear-stained cheeks._

 _Naruto laughed. "I love you too, mom. And I promise to write as much as I can."_

 _A screech was heard and a large, bright yellow school bus pulled up on the edge of the Uzumaki territory. The doors opened and man with a trimmed white beard waved at them._

 _"Naruto Uzumaki to Konoha Academy?"_

 _Kushina and Minato pulled the blonde into one last, bone-crushing hug. "We love you, Naruto," they said in unision._

 _"I love you guys, too."_

 _Naruto climbed onto the bus and quickly claimed a window seat, waving as the bus pulled away, and only stopped when he was sure he couldn't see them anymore. This was it. The start of his new life, far away from the only place he'd ever known. Far from the only people he'd known, aside from his godparents. Thankfully, they would be nearby._

 _"You know we still get breaks, right? And as long as you get permission, you can visit anytime. So quit looking so depressed."_

 _Naruto's head snapped to the side at the sound of a new voice. Sitting across from him was a redhead with pupil-less aqua eyes, surrounded by thick black rings. His skin was ghostly pale and stood out against his red leather jacket and blood-colored jeans. A raccoon with vibrant yellow eyes was nestled on his lap. Feeling his stare, the creature glared at him._

 _"What the hell do you want?" the raccoon growled, glaring scornfully at Naruto._

 _"That's enough, Shukaku," the redhead scolded, handing the animal a cracker. Sniffing, Shukaku took it and turned his back on the blonde._

 _"Why do you have a racoon?" Naruto asked._

 _"Shukaku is my familiar," the boy answered curtly._

 _"Oh," he replied. "What's a familiar?"_

 _The redhead gave him a blank stare before cracking a small smile. "You must really be new. How old are you?"_

 _"Fifteen… weeks." The boy raised an eyebrow. "I'm a Shifter," Naruto said, answered the boys' silent question. He nodded in understanding. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. What's your name?"_

 _The redhead narrowed his eyes at the blonde's wide grin. "I didn't ask your name, and you don't need to know mine," he replied, watching as Naruto's grin dropped slightly._

 _"Well, Naruto, a familiar is a lifelong animal companion. Most monsters get them early but, despite your physical appearance, since you're fairly young you most likely won't get yours until later. They are highly treasured by those they're tied to and the bonds last a lifetime and further." The redhead hadn't looked at Naruto at all during his entire speech, preferring to stare straight ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he saw the blonde's disappointed face at the obvious notion the conversation was over. He said his thanks and looked down at the bus floor._

 _"Gaara."_

 _"What?" Naruto replied._

 _The boy sighed in irritation. "My name is Gaara. I'm 1500."_

 _Naruto's face broke out in a toothy and smile and he scrambled to sit in the open spot beside Gaara. "Nice to meet you, Gaara. So what kind of monster are you?"_

 _Gaara stared at him before rolling his eyes. He flashed a sharp pair of fangs and revealed ears pointed at the tips._

 _"I've read about monsters like you! You're a vampire!" Naruto exclaimed, excitedly._

 _"Give the kid a prize." Shukaku muttered._

 _Naruto glared. "Stupid raccoon." Shukaku hissed at him, baring his sharp teeth, and Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly._

 _Gaara gave a small chuckle at the blonde's response. Most people clammed up right away when Shukaku spoke to them, but Naruto just treated him like a rude sibling. Suddenly, Gaara's phone rang. He pulled it out and scowled as a picture of a green-eyed blonde flashed across the screen._

 _Speaking of siblings, he thought crossly._

 _"Who's that?" Naruto asked. "She's pretty."_

 _"That's my sister, Temari. She and my brother are probably looking for me." Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation._

 _"They don't know you're here?"_

 _"Why would they? I was supposed to ride with them in our car, but I hate attention. Even without the car, I'd get a lot of it. I snuck away before we left and called the academy bus," Gaara replied._

 _"But I'm guessing your brother and sister are vampires too. Why would you be getting any special attention?" the blonde asked._

 _"Have you heard of the Sabaku clan?"_

 _Naruto thought hard. The name sounded familiar, like something his mom had brought up during one of her clan discussion with his dad. Something clicked in Naruto's brain._

 _"The Sabaku are the most powerful vampiric family in the country, and one of the most powerful families in the world! My mom is friends with yours. Um...Karura, right? "_

 _"Yes, and I presume Kushina is your mother?" Naruto nodded. "I am the youngest child of Rasa and Karura Sabaku, and I am also the future head of the Sabaku clan."_

 _Naruto noted the slight bitterness in the redhead's voice. "You don't wanna be a clan leader?"_

 _"Not at all," the youngest Sabaku denied. "However, I'm not fond of the attention that comes with such a title."_

 _"I think it's exciting! And being able to tell people what to do sounds like it would be fun!" Naruto said excitedly._

 _Gaara scoffed. "Of course you would think that."_

 _"Well you don't have to be mean about it," Naruto said, sulking. He was only trying to cheer up the boy._

 _Silence filled the bus for a good ten minutes before the redhead spoke again. "You're right," he said._

 _"Huh?"_

 _"You're right," Gaara repeated. "I shouldn't take my frustrations out on someone who doesn't deserve it. At the very least, not on you. You're rather naive, so I suppose that's an excuse."_

 _"That, and I have a knack for not knowing when to quit," Naruto replied, grinning once more._

 _Gaara searched his big blue eyes, and immediately decided the blonde was an idiot and likely going to be trouble. Regardless, he smirked at him._

 _"Very well. Since it's likely no one else will put up with you, I suppose I can look after you."_

 _"What, like a mother?" Naruto scoffed._

 _"Hardly. More as a… a…"_

 _"I think the word you're looking for is friend."_

 _"Yes, that," Gaara replied quickly, thoroughly embarrassed._

 _"It makes sense for us to try and get along anyway," Naruto said. "We are roommates after all."_

 _The Sabakus snapped his head towards the blonde, who was holding up a paper listing his name, date of birth, and other information. There, next to "Roommate" were two words: Gaara Sabaku. Silently, the redhead reached into his bag and pulled out a sharpened pencil, handing it to Naruto, who took it in confusion._

 _"Umm.."_

 _"Stab me," Gaara said curtly. "Right through the heart, as hard as you can."_

 _Naruto looked between the pencil and Gaara repeatedly for a few seconds. Then he burst out laughing, clutching his sides and nearly falling out of the seat._

 _"I don't see what's so amusing."_

* * *

A loud screech sounded as the bus jerked forward, slamming Naruto's forehead against the seat in front of him.

Oowww!" the blonde, whined in pain, as Gaara and Shukaku snickered in the background.

"Nice move, blondie. Wish someone had caught it on tape," Shukaku smirked as Naruto rubbed his sore head, glaring at the rude tanuki.

"Screw you," Naruto grumbled.

Gaara and Shukaku laughed before the redhead helped him up. They grabbed their bags and Naruto thanked the bus driver before getting off.

"Good luck, fresh meat!" he called, eyes glowing an eerie red. "You're gonna need it." The doors snapped shut and the bus peeled out of the parking lot.

"Did he just call us fresh meat?" Naruto asked.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Forget him. Come on, we've only got twenty minutes left for check-in. If we don't,, we'll have to find housing off campus for the night."

Naruto nodded and gathered his things, hurrying towards the front gate. As he fell into step beside Gaara, the blonde realized something. He didn't notice before, but now that they were standing up Naruto saw that Gaara was quite short. He considered whether to comment on it or not. Before he could even make a decision the redhead spoke up

"Say anything about my height and I'll bury you alive."

* * *

 **(1) Sugoi is a sort of Japanese slang word for awesome or cool.**


	4. NOT AN UPDATE

Hello everyone. My deepest apologies for being gone for so long, eve after promising to work on keeping up, but I have good news. My senior year is almost over, I've been accepted into the college I want to go to, and all my activities (the ones that take up time anyway) are done with. I still have some family drama but I've learned to tune it out. I'll be starting college this fall but since I'll have a more flexible schedule, it shouldn't interfere much. I'm working with several Betas to work the kinks out of my stories, and will be revising one of them. My goal is to start posting again over Spring Break, with fully written and edited chapters so you guys won't have rushed updates or, worse, none at all. Thank you for sticking with me through all the bull I've thrown, and I apologize for letting you all down. I hope you're looking forward to March as much as I am. Thank you, and I love you all! Stay freaky fabulous!


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